This spring we received a letter from our main seed supplier informing us that one of the carrot varieties that we purchase every year will no longer be available. 2016 is the end of the road for this particular variety. Though we grow about 10 different carrot varieties on the farm there is only 1 that has been absolutely remarkable as a bunching carrot year after year. Our farm’s reputation was built on this carrot variety.
We knew that this day would eventually come but now that it is here the consequences are very real to us. Carrots are the biggest crop that we grow, so the impact of discontinuing a variety that we’ve come to rely upon is significant. This circumstance highlights a vulnerability; although our farm is fairly self-contained and self-reliant, there are inputs that we cannot produce ourselves but which we absolutely depend on for our success.
Other than gasoline & diesel, seed is the biggest purchased input on the farm annually. We spend a lot of money on seeds, and as it turns out buying vegetable seed is one of those things in life where generally the more you pay the better product you get. For those of you who garden take our advice – don’t buy the cheap seed available at Canadian Tire, etc. Spend a little more to get a lot better results!
Saving seed from the harvest is an ancient practice that for thousands of years has enabled farmers to be self-reliant. Seed saving is the quintessential act of owning what is rightfully yours. No money is exchanged, no contract signed, nor royalties paid when a person keeps a portion of the harvest to plant in the future. This is a basic human right. It is also a convenient way of passing something special from one generation to the next. I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard someone talk about the rhubarb that used to come out of grandma’s garden, or the corn that their dad grew, or the tomato variety that has been in their family for generations. These are true heirlooms.
The word “heirloom” and “heritage” are words that have entered the modern foodscape in recent years. Heirloom tomatoes for example can be found at virtually any grocery store across the country. Obviously Granny isn’t selling surplus from her garden to Mr. Safeway. So what exactly is an heirloom vegetable anyway? The generally accepted definition of an heirloom vegetable is if the variety was established prior to 1950. These varieties have been nurtured, selected, and handed down from one generation to another. Heirloom varieties tend to possess the genetic potential to adapt to regional climates, soils, pests, etc. Heirloom cultivars are also known as “Open Pollenated”, which basically means that a person can save seed from the harvest in order to re-plant. When the next crop grows it will be more or less identical to the parent crop. This basic feature is what makes it possible to successfully select for specific traits and perpetuate those genes in the next generation
The opposite of Open Pollinated crops are called Hybrids. Hybrids are not Genetically Modified, they are simply varieties that have undergone extensive selective breeding in controlled environments. Hybrids are created by crossing two or more “purebred” parent lines in order to create a plant that has very specific and predictable traits. Take our favourite carrot variety for example, which was bred to have a short growing period, resistance to disease, and higher-than-average sugar content. Hybrid plants are the product of purebred lines, and lack genetic diversity because all purebred plants and animals are inbred to a certain degree. The first generation of hybrid plants exhibit the desirable characteristics for which the variety was bred, but subsequent generations will not grow with any degree of predictability. Unlike their open-pollenated counterparts, hybrid plants are not stable and therefore seed is not saved from them.
On our farm we grow both open-pollenated varieties and hybrid varieties. However, we grow more hybrid varieties because they tend to be more predictable. Examples of qualities that we often select for include taste, texture, disease resistance, size, frost tolerance, and uniformity. The last trait is one that is specifically important when it comes to growing food for a CSA. For example, the green cabbage that is in this week’s box is very uniform in size and the majority of the crop was ready for harvest at the same time. It is also a very juicy and sweet cabbage that is perfect for summertime coleslaw. By contrast, an open pollenated crop of cabbage would vary greatly in size, meaning that some members would get a 2 lb cabbage while others might get a 10 lb cabbage. Additionally, it is unlikely that we would have been able to harvest 150 ripe cabbages on the same day. The genetic depth of open pollenated seeds is in this case a detriment.
I believe that there is a place for both open pollenated and hybrid crops on most farms. We certainly embrace both. More than half of our crops are hybrid varieties and therefore we cannot save seed from them. And even though we could potentially save seed from the open pollenated varieties that we grow, we prefer to purchase from reputable seed suppliers. Seed saving is a whole other endeavor that at this point we are not adequately able to tackle. That said however, the last two years we have participated in a cross-Canada seed saving program called the Bauta Family Initiative. The goal of which is to help small-scale farmers gain continued access to their favourite open pollenated varieties, and lessen dependence on seed companies by creating a co-operatively run seed bank. Dozens of growers across the country are saving seed for this project.
On Monday this week we hosted a tour with local seed savers to show off a red speckled crisphead lettuce that we are growing out for seed. We also grew three interesting yellow carrot varieties for this program. Seed saving is very much at the heart of food sovereignty, and something that farmers and consumers alike must fight to retain the right to do.
As for our favourite carrot, we feel confident in moving forward next year with a new variety that we’ve now been growing and testing for 3 years. After receiving notice this spring that our standard bunching carrot was discontinued I felt relieved that we’ve been anticipating this exact scenario and have already found our replacement. The first of our field carrots were harvested yesterday for this week’s box. We hope you enjoy them, and you can look forward to lots more throughout the fall!
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On Monday we hosted a tour of the farm with other seed savers in the region. It was a great opportunity to talk about the different varieties of seed and how they fit into a market garden
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Partners in good food!
Ethopia: Konga, Yirgacheffe
This is a wet fermented, naturally dried coffee from a micro region within the Gedeo one of Yirgacheffee. It's named after the local tribe, Konga, Sede.
Tasting Notes: Floral aromatics with sweet lemon curd, orange and raspberry flavours and a creamy mouthfeel.
This week's bread from
Both Hands BreadPeasant Bread (yeasted)
Sifted whole wheat flour, water, unrefined sea salt, yeast.
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Garden Feature
Green Summer Cabbage
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Despite having tremendous pest (cabbage root fly) pressure in May, June and July, our first cabbages have ripened and are ready for your plate! Cabbage is part of the brassica family of plants. Many of the vegetables we eat belong to that same family, including broccoli, radishes, and arugula. Cabbages come in several shapes and textures, round, conical, flat, savoyed and Chinese (Napa). From our CSA Member survey last year there was more than one individual who remarked that we provided too much cabbage in the CSA, this year we have grown only 3 types of cabbage, one of which has failed (sorry napa). You can expect to receive cabbage twice this season. For those who love cabbage, we hope to sneak some cabbages into the swap box throughout the last half of the season and will also have cabbages for sale at the market throughout the fall.
The cabbage we are offering today is a typical round summer cabbage. Summer cabbages mature early, have a sweet, juicy and spicy flavour, and are great for fresh eating i.e: coleslaw and other salads. Enjoy!
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Coleslaw Three Ways
We consider coleslaw to be a year-round salad. It is fast to prepare, and because of endless combina and flavour we never get sick of eating it. Below are three coleslaw combos to whet your appetite for this delicious vegetable. Don't forget to put creativity into your coleslaw!
Classic Coleslaw
Salad
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Celery
- Radishes
- Onion or scallion
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 TBSP vinegar
- 2 TBSP sugar
- 1 tsp caraway seed
- 1 tsp celery seed
- salt and pepper to taste
Sweet Slaw
Salad
- Cabbage
- 8oz can crushed pineapple
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Cranberry Slaw
Salad
- Cabbage
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- Celery
- Scallions
- Green pepper
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 TBSP sweet relish of chopped bread and butter pickles
- 1 TBSP honey mustard
- 1 TBSP honey
- salt and pepper to taste
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Thanks for coming out for a tour!
This past Sunday we hosted the 2nd farm tour of the season. We had a great group of people, including lots of children. It was a beautiful day and a great opportunity to see the fields in their full summertime glory. Our final farm tour of the season will be held on Sunday September 28th from 2-4 pm.
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NO PICKLING CUKES THIS YEAR
We are very sad to report that we will not be able to fill pickling cucumber orders this season. The hot and humid weather has caused a blight which is severely affecting our cucumber yield. We are very sorry for any disappointment this causes you!
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You aren't the only one enjoying the zucchini this summer. Spot the bumblebee in this zucchini flower!
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Yesterday evening the last seeds of the season were planted. We have been planting almost every week for the last 20 weeks now!
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Our three biggest input costs on the farm are (in order): fuel, feed, seed
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